Method of retaining a valve stem in a valve body



M y 0, 1969 c. BOLLING 3,444,605

METHOD OFIRETAINING A VALVE STEM IN A VALVE BODY Original Filed Jan. 24, 1964 INVENTOR.

U.S. Cl. 29157.1. 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A gage valve having a body provided with an extension having an inturned annular stop at the distal end for effectively positively precluding removal of the valve stem upon assembly of the valve. The stop has a substantial axial extent for effectively precluding outward rolling thereof as by a forceful axial outward urging of the valve stem. The valve stop may be formed by crimping after the stem is mounted therein.

This application comprises a divisional continuation of my copending application Ser. No. 339,956, filed J an. 24, 1964, now Patent 3,272,232.

This invention relates to valves and in particular to gage valves.

In one form of gage valve, a body member defines a fluid passage and carries a valve member selectively positionable to open and close the passage for conducting fluid pressure from an inlet of the passage to an outlet thereof to which may be connected a gage or the like. At times it is desirable to check the accuracy or operation of the gage by connecting a second calibrating gage to the fluid passage. For this purpose, a fluid passage is provided in the valve member having an inlet opening to the fluid passage of the body member downstream of the valve seat. The fluid passage in the valve member has an outlet which is normally closed by suitable selectively removable means.

The present invention comprehends an improved gage valve structure having new and improved means for retaining the valve member in association with the valve body against high pressures within the fluid passage. The invention further comprehends an improved arrangement of the means for selectively closing the valve member passage outlet.

Thus, the principal object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved gage valve structure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a gage valve structure having new and improved means for retaining the valve member in association with the body member.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a gage valve structure having a second fluid passage defining an outlet to which a calibrating gage may be selectively connected, and new and improved means for selectively closing the outlet.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a gage valve structure wherein the second fluid passage is in the valve member.

A yet further object of the invention is the provision of a gage valve structure wherein the outlet closure means is arranged to provide a signal of the presence of fluid pressure within the valve member passage in the event that the user attempts to remove the closure when the valve member is in the valve open position.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a gage valve structure wherein the signal means is arranged to provide an audio signal.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a gage valve structure having new and improved means for opposing the removal of the outlet closure in the event that the user attempts to remove the closure when the valve member is in the valve open position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section of the valve with the closure illustrated in broken lines in the open position;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of a portion of a modified valve embodying the invention.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, a gage valve generally designated is shown to include a body member 11 defining a fluid passage generally designated 12 having an inlet 13, a reduced portion 14 extending inwardly from the inlet, an upright reduced portion 15 extending from portion 14 and defining at its upper end a valve seat 16 facing an enlarged portion 17. From the upright enlarged portion 17, the fluid passage 12 continues as a horizontal portion 18 leading to an outlet portion 19. A conventional connector 20 may :be threadedly secured to an exteriorly threaded end portion 21 defining outlet 19 for connecting a coupling sleeve 22 to the outlet portion 21.

The upper portion of the body member is defined by a bonnet 23 threadedly secured to an upper exteriorly threaded portion 24 of the member 11 which defines a radially inwardly axially upwardly opening recess 25 and a radial upper shoulder 26. An annular seal 27 is disposed within the recess. A washer 28 is disposed between a downwardly facing radial shoulder 29 on the bonnet 23 and the upwardly facing shoulder 26 of the body member to be compressed between these shoulders when the bonnet is threaded down onto body member portion 24 to the point where a subjacent radial shoulder 30 of the bonnet engages the radial shoulder 26 of the body member. A washer 31 is disposed between the washer 28 and an upper radial shoulder 32 on the bonnet to retain the washer against extrusion upwardly through an upwardly continuing axial threaded bore 33 of the bonnet. Illustratively, the sealing ring 27 may be formed of rubber; the back-up washer 28 may be formed of Teflon (a plastic consisting of a tetrafluoroethylene polymer); and the washer 31 may be formed of brass.

At the upper end of the threaded bore 33, the bonnet is provided with an annular end portion 35 defining a downwardly facing radial annular shoulder 36. Between annular shoulders 36 and the upper end of the bore portion 33, the bonnet defines a radially inwardly opening annular recess 37. The bonnet is provided with an external thread 38 laterally outwardly of the bore portion 33 for cooperation with a suitable nut 39 and a washer 40 for use in securing the valve to a suitable support (not shown) which may be disposed between the washer 40 and a subjacent upwardly facing exterior radial shoulder 41.

In normal use, the fluid pressure is delivered through the passage 12 from inlet 13 to the outlet portion 19, to which may be connected a suitable gage (not shown) by the coupling sleeve 22. The fluid pressure in passage 12 is precluded from escaping upwardly through the bonnet 23 by a valve structure generally designated 42 which also functions to selectively open and close the passage 12 across the valve seat 16. More specifically, the valve structure 42 includes a valve stem 43 provided with a lower portion 44 selectively seatable on valve seat 16. The lower portion 44 is smaller in diameter than the passage portion 17. Upwardly of the lower portion 44, the stem is provided with a radially enlarged portion 45 loosely fitting in the passage portion 17 and movably sealed to the body member portion 24 by means of the O-ring 27. Above stem portion 45 is a threaded portion 46 which is threadedly received in the interiorly threaded portion 33 of the bonnet to provide vertical movement of the Valve stem as a result of a rotation thereof about the vertical axis. The upward movement of the valve stem is limited by engagement of an annular stop shoulder 47 at the upper end of the threaded portion 46 with the annular shoulder 36 of the upper end 35 of bonnet 23.

Above stop 47, the stem defines a cylindrical portion 48 having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of bonnet end 35 for free movement of portion 48 axially therethrough. End 35 may be crimped inwardly to the configuration illustrated after the lower portion of the stem is inserted downwardly into the bonnet bore 33. The upper end 49 of the stem is exteriorly threaded at 50. A handle 51 is threaded onto portion 49 and locked into position thereof by means of a lower hexagonal collar 52 formed integrally on stem 43 and an upper nut 53 and washer 54.

The valve stem 43 is provided with an axial bore 55 which opens outwardly at its lower end through a radial port 56 in stem portion 45 and outwardly at its upper end through an axial outlet opening at the upper end of the valve stem. By virtue of the loose fit of the stem portion 45 in the passage portion 17, communication is provided between the axial bore 55 and the fluid passage 12 downstream of the valve seat 16. Thus, bore 55 defines a second fluid passage in which fluid pressure is present when the valve structure 42 is arranged to open the fluid passage 12 by spacing the lower stem portion 44 above the valve seat 16.

In normal use, the outlet 57 of the valve stem bore 55 is sealingly closed so that fluid pressure is delivered through the valve body passage 12 to the outlet 19, such as for actuation of a gage connected to the outlet. The closing of the outlet 57 is effected herein by means of a closure 58 comprising a cap nut carried on the threads 50 of the stem portion 49. The upper end of the stem circumjacent the Outlet 57 is defined by a frustoconical, upwardly narrowing sealing surface 59 and the inner confronting surface 60 of the nut 58 is complementarily frusto-conical, upwardly narrowing so that when the nut 58 is threaded downwardly on threads 50 a positive sealing contact between surfaces 59 and 60 is effected, thereby sealingly closing outlet 57.

At times it is desirable to connect a device such as a second gage (not shown) to the outlet 57 such as for calibrating or checking a gage which may be connected to the outlet 19 of passage 12. To do this, the user need merely remove nut 58 and replace the nut with the threaded connection of the calibrating gage (not shown). However, it is extremely important that the passage 12 be closed across seat 16 at this time for if pressure exists within the bore 55 of the valve stem 43 the pressure may well cause the nut 58 to fly upwardly with a substantial force when it is unthreaded from the valve stem, thereby possibly injuring the user or otherwise causing serious damage. Toward this end, nut 58 is provided herein with a lateral passage 61 extending through the nut to open interiorly thereof at the lower end of the surface 57. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the passage is offset relative to the radius of the nut. The offset of passage 61 is preselected so that the passage opens outwardly opposite to the direction of rotation of the cap nut 58 which will unthread the cap nut from the valve stem. In the illustrated embodiment, the cap nut 58 is unthreaded from the valve stem by a counterclockwise rotation thereof as seen in FIGURE 2.

Thus, should the user attempt to remove the cap nut 58 from the valve stem while the valve stem portion 44 is spaced above seat 16, fluid pressure in passage 12 is conducted through the bore 55 and from the outlet 57 to between the resulting space between surfaces 59 and 60 and thus to passage 61. The passage 61 is preferably small in diameter so that the fluid tends to jet outwardly therefrom.

Such fluid flow has been found to produce two highly desirable effects. Firstly, the action of the jet stream tends to urge the cap nut 58 in a clockwise direction counteracting the force applied by the user in attempting to unthread the cap nut from the valve stem. This serves as an indication to the user that something is wrong and that he should investigate further before continuing his withdrawal of the cap nut from the valve stem. The passage 61 provides a second highly desirable feature in that the fluid, in passing outwardly from the passage, is caused to make an audible sound, i.e. a relatively loud whistle, clearly alerting the user that something is wrong and that investigation should be undertaken before continuing the withdrawal of the cap nut from the valve stem.

The above actions of the fluid passing outwardly from the passage 61 are effected while yet a substantial portion of the cap nut remains threaded to the upper end of the valve stem. Thus, the warning to the user is effected while the cap nut remains effectively positively associated with the valve stem and effectively precludes injury or serious damage as would result from a freeing of the cap nut from the valve stem with fluid pressure being present within the second fluid passage 55.

The fluid passage 61 serves the additional highly desirable function of providing a clear indication that the nut 58 is threaded sufficiently fully down on the valve stem to obtain the desired sealing closure of the outlet 57 when the cap nut is installed on the valve stem to close the outlet. Thus, should the cap nut 58 not be fully threaded downwardly onto the stem end at the time the user opens the valve for delivering fluid pressure to the outlet 19 of passage 12, the fluid pressure within second passage 55 will produce the above described audio signal thereby notifying the user that the closure should be more fully tightened.

A further highly desirable feature of the gage valve 10 is the improved retention of the valve stem itself within the body member 11 and bonnet 23 elfected by the cooperating stop 47 and shoulder 36. More specifically, the end portion 35 is relatively thick, and, thus, serves as a rigid positive abutment. As radial deformation of the end portion 35 is effectively precluded, the shoulder 36 effectively positively limits the outward movement of the stem thereby eliminating the possibility of a forceful separation of the stem from the valve body which has occurred from time to time in the known gage valves wherein the means for retaining the valve stem in association with the valve body have deformed under the substantial fluid pressure involved and caused serious injury and/ or damage.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, a modified form of gage valve is shown to comprise a gage valve substantially identical to gage valve 10, except for the substitution of a pin 147 extending diametrically through the valve stem to abut a stop ring 136 disposed within the annular recess in which the sealing O-ring 127 is carried. The pin extends through a pair of diametrically aligned openings 156 in the valve stem 143 and is provided with a slot 147a so that the fluid pressure may pass from passage portion 117 into the axial bore within the valve stem. Thus, the coaction between pin 147 and stop ring 136, which is positively retained against movement outwardly through bore portion 133 by rings 131 and 128, effectively positively precludes undesirable separation of the valve stem from the valve body. In all other respects the gage valve 110 is similar to and functions in a similar manner as does gage valve 10.

I claim:

1. The method of retaining a valve stem positively in association with a valve body means comprising: providing in the valve body means an opening; providing a radial projection on a portion of the valve stem; insert- 5 ing the valve stem portion through the valve body opening; and subsequent to said inserting crimping the body means to define a tubular extension on said body coaxially of said valve stem and provided with an inturned distal portion defining an annular stop having an axial extent substantially greater than the radial thickness of said tubular extension, said stop being disposed in the path of said projection upon movement of said valve stem axially outwardly through said opening, the relatively 10 elongate axial extent of said stop effectively precluding outward rolling of said stop as by a forceful axially outward urging of said valve stem thereby to positively prevent withdrawal of said valve stem from said body.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 6/ 1924 Great Britain.

HENRY T. KLINKSIEK, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

